A nurse, a social worker, a nutritionist and a veterinarian helped increase the level of interdisciplinary collaboration at Penn on Friday.
Professors in these areas were among 12 Penn scholars who convened in the Annenberg Center's Harold Prince Theatre for a symposium entitled "Youth in American Culture."
Faculty Senate Chairwoman Neville Strumpf called the symposium a "lively dialogue" between experts from all 12 Penn graduate schools. University President Amy Gutmann concurred that issues facing modern youth are not limited to "any one discipline or profession."
Regarding the influence of popular media on young children, Communication professor Martin Fishbein said that television alone "cannot be studied in a vacuum."
Richard Gelles, moderator and dean of the School of Social Policy and Practice, then "tossed" the conversation to Stella Volpe, associate professor of Nursing, who said that children who engage in low levels of physical activity -- often related to their hours spent watching TV -- may also have a poor diet.
Sociology professor Elijah Anderson contributed to the symposium's broad topical range by describing his experience as an expert witness in a case involving an individual who began peddling drugs at the age of 8. Social Policy and Practice professor Carol Spigner said that the individual was a type of "entrepreneurial genius" whose activities were merely misdirected.
"Most live along neighborhood and racial lines," said City and Regional Planning professor Amy Hillier, who suggested that Anderson's account reflected long-standing urban patterns.
Social trends in youth may also be observed through an object as simple as a family photograph, History professor Michael Zuckerman said. Over the last century, children have moved from the "far periphery" to the center of family portraits, he said.
Likewise, the role of the "honorary sibling" -- the family dog or cat -- has increased substantially, said Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare professor James Serpell.
